White Wolf
by DarkTaboo
Summary: This is the story of Rinnah the skin-changer, and her adventures with Thorin and Co. Not very good at descriptions.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so apparently my story was taken down due to my announcement concerning my busy winter break, so I am reuploading everything, and going through make corrections. I'll be back on track shortly.**

* * *

Fourteen ponies could be heard making their way on the unused path. At the head of their company was a dwarven king, by the name of Thorin Oakenshield. He was determined to move as quickly as possible, in order to reach their destination on time. He did not however, even consider the possibility of meeting someone on this path. Thorin and his company were quite focused on the task at hand and were reasonably startled when they heard a voice from up in one of the trees to their right.

"I hope you weren't thinking of crossing the river here," a clearly feminine voice spoke. All of the company reined in their mounts and glanced over in the direction of the voice. Thorin's brow furrowed as he saw, sitting in the junction of the branches, another being. He wouldn't even attempt to guess as what it was.

"And why is that?" He glared upwards. He was not that willing to trust the words of strangers, especially those wearing a mask. It looked like iron, resting upon the top of her head, gently rounded to a point on the end. It looked like she wore the top part of bird's beak, sharp and cold. There were two sets of triangular holes, the top ones showing her eyes. Off the back off it sprouted a large and thick fur cape, covering her form. She merely stood and leaned on one of the branches, looking down on the company, arms crossed. A pack lay at her feet.

"Well, master dwarf, unless you wish to drown your ponies and your men, I would suggest travelling a little farther north. The river here has risen quite a bit, and the water is deathly cold." It was then that the figure leapt down, landing silently on her feet, cape still close at her sides, giving nothing away. The ponies gave no sounds of discomfort, quietly shifting from foot to foot as they stood patiently. As she rose up to full height, all of the company could see that she was no larger than their own burglar, Bilbo. Thorin, still displeased, jumped off of his pony and strode purposefully over to the stranger.

"Who and what are you? I am not very likely to take up on the words of... strangers." He towered over her, his eyes dark and glinting. Her eyes sparkled under the mask, creasing at the corners, suggesting an amused smile.

"Quite a good habit sir, I usually don't trust strangers myself, though I always try to help them." Her tone was patronizing, and she didn't seem the least bit intimidated. Thorin gritted his teeth and went to retort, but was stopped as the stranger whipped her cape off and tossed it onto a nearby log with a flourish. The company sat wide-eyed, even Thorin almost losing his composure as he saw the being in front of him. This girl had long silvery-white hair, a thing almost unheard of. There were thick bangs covering her forehead, with two longer pieces falling just past her shoulders, one on each side. Her hair fell to her waist, and it was very thick. She had two different colored eyes, her left golden brown and her right a bright green. Over her left eye were three large scars, which looked like they had been made by a large cat.

On both shoulders rested round plates of armor, each with three spikes in decreasing size. She wore a chain on her neck, with two curved pieces hanging from it, with serrated edges. Her chest was wrapped in tight black cloth, with a wrap of brown fur over it, the ends pulled over each other, leaving a small dip that showed the black slightly. From her left hip, to the bottom of her fur-wrapped chest, was a large burn that wrapped around to her back. From her right shoulder to the bottom of her rib cage ran two larger scars. There were two similar scars emanating from the same shoulder on her back. Around her waist she wore another brown fur, tightly wrapped, coming to mid thigh. Underneath were jet black leggings which ended at her feet. Right under her knees, were two, brown, thickly-furred leg wraps, adding six inches on either side of her legs.

"My name is Rinnah," she said, her face looking subtley proud of the reaction she had caused, "I am a berserker, or what you would call a skin-changer." Her eyes flashed quickly with an animosity, then quickly softened. The company all started whispering frantically to each other, eyeing her cautiously. Thorin, however, did no such thing.

"And how Rinnah, can you expect me to believe that? To my knowledge, all skin-changers are quite large. You though, are as small as our burglar, and he is a hobbit." His eyes narrowed as she grinned.

"Quite right, but how much do you know of young skin-changers? I'm only sixteen, and my parents both grew later than most of our kind. And if it is proof that you require, I would be more than honored to oblige you." Then, quicker than any of them could blink, a white wolf stood before them, head held high with a smirk in place. Still the ponies did not panic, but the dwarves all flinched heavily upon seeing the change. Her scars, shoulder armor, and chain were still in place, but they had changed to fit her body. Her ears flicked forward as she heard a soft thump. It looked like their burglar hobbit had fallen off of his pony, having fainted. With a roll of her eyes she switched back to her normal form.

"That one new to adventures," she asked, quirking a brow. There were a few sniggers until Thorin glared at them.

"You said the river was too high here?" Thorin questioned her with slightly less distrust. Rinnah merely nodded at him, then began striding over to where Bilbo had fell, and hoisted him back up onto his pony, holding him steady until he regained consciousness. The dwarves all looked at her, and she darted her eyes over to them with a smirk. They all smiled, and even Thorin's features looked softened.

"Quite right sir, much to deep for ponies, though a draft could manage. I'd be more than happy to guide you to where the river is shallower. It isn't that much farther north, only about half an hour. I've been warning people for a while."

"Well, Rinnah, I would be lying if I said I were not grateful for your service. My name is Thorin Oakenshield." She looked over with mild surprise and nodded.

"Fili and Kili at your service," yelled two young dwarves, both different, but appearing to be brothers.

"Balin," commented a kindly older dwarf.

"Dwalin," a large gruff looking dwarf.

"Bofur, Bifur and Bombur!" A dwarf with quite the hat pointed at each of them in turn.

"Nori, Dori and Ori," a dwarf with pointed hair called, pointing as well.

"Gloin," the red haired dwarf said.

"And Oin," the grey-haired dwarf with the ear trumpet stated.

"And him," Rinnah said, pointing at the hobbit she was currently supporting.

"That's our burglar, Bilbo Baggins," shouted the dwarf named Bofur happily.

Bilbo, startled by the noise, sat straight up and looked around confused. The dwarves all explained the introduction, with Bilbo later apologizing for not introducing himself. He made quite a fuss, mentions of "not very hobbit-like to miss an introduction." Rinnah repeatedly assured him that she didn't mind in the slightest. She ran over to the tree, climbing the trunk expertly before grabbing her pack and back-flipping off the branch landing softly. Then she made her way over and took her cape from the log, stuffing it in her pack. She changed into a wolf next, moving to the companies right, and calling over her shoulder to them.

"Right this way if you please, gentleman."


	2. Chapter 2

Rinnah trotted along the ground silently, to the left of Thorin's pony. She was quite uncomfortable at the thought of the company staring at her facial scars, and the large burn on her side. She'd rather not become a sort of spectacle, and was quite sensitive about the entire thing. She looked determined, as did her pace. Thorin looked over at her, thinking over her admission to being only sixteen years of age. He was concerned with anyone this young travelling in the woods alone He had barely allowed his nephews to go hunting back in the Blue Mountains without a chaperone, so her state peeved him.

"I'm surprised that you have not questioned what we are doing, a large group of dwarves and a hobbit."

"Not exactly my business, is it? I'm a firm believer in letting others choose what to reveal, and not prying into their affairs."

"You mentioned that you were sixteen," he said slowly, trying to get some information. The company hushed almost immediately listening closely for any more information about their skin-changing guide.

"That's right." She looked up at him a bit suspiciously before just shrugging it off. When she thought about it, her situation did seem a bit odd.

"Well, what's a sixteen year old skin-changer doing so far south? Your parents wanted to tour the rest of this land?" There was a short moment of uneasiness as Rinnah whipped her head to face Thorin again. She did not look angry, or upset, but more or less like she were choosing her words carefully.

"I didn't travel here with my parents, I came alone. I just... didn't feel right staying in the Vales. It never did really feel all too right after last summer." She turned her head to face forward, lightly jumping over the rock in her path. She was trying to appear nonchalant, but it wasn't working as well as she had hoped. Thorin's brows furrowed, and the rest of the dwarves began to murmur.

"What do you mean, 'didn't feel right'?"

"Just as I said. I felt uncomfortable, and I knew that I would not be able to stay." She was starting to waver a bit, her uncaring front dissolving slightly.

"Where are your parents? Surely they must have been worried to find their daughter gone. Or did they give you permission to go?" Glancing over at him for the third time, she quickly changed the subject.

"And just where are you and your company headed, Thorin Oakenshield? Thirteen dwarves and a hobbit, all travelling the least used paths in this part of the country? Not to mention that the likelihood of dwarves 'taking a tour of the country' are slim to none. Especially considering that your hobbit, Bilbo, was introduced to me as your burglar." Taken aback by the sudden barrage, Thorin pulled his pony to a halt.

"I thought you said it was none of business." He was annoyed now, not used to being questioned like this.

"Oh, did I? Well I thought that someone would be much kinder to their steed, and not wrench their soft mouth around." She glared at him angrily, and he just glared back. His pony shifting uncomfortably, sensing the tension between both of them. The company held back, too frightened to move any closer.

"I asked you a reasonable question, _skin-changer_. I do not appreciate your sudden attacks on me, especially when you have no claim to them."

"No claim?! Do you know me, _dwarf_? Do you know who I am, what I've seen, or what I've done? Do you know the pain it is to suddenly lose your home, and never be able to return. At least not without knowing that you have done something so horrible that anyone there would cast you out in an instant if they knew?!" Her fur raised as her lips curled in a snarl.

"I know what is is to lose my home! And I'm quite sure that someone as young as yourself couldn't have possibly done anything to make you an exile."

"Oh really?" Her eyes glazed over with shadow, her face dropping to a blank expression. Thorin looked uneasily upon her. He was still infuriated by this creature. She had the nerve to think her plight higher than his. She did not know what happened to his people, to his home. How could she dare to place her own pain above an entire city's? She merely turned forward and continued walking.

"Hurry up, the crossing isn't far." She didn't even look back, and kept on moving forward. Thorin, still glaring and angry, squeezed his pony's sides and continued following. The rest of the company right behind him. They had begun whispering to one another, very much put off by the whole encounter. A few of them tried to make light-hearted conversation, but the uneasiness lingered. One such conversation was being held at the rear of the group, between the burglar and the toymaker.

"Bofur?" The dwarf turned to look at the hobbit riding beside him.

"Yea?"

"I know this may seem like a silly question, but why was Thorin so angry with her? I mean, she is just a child." His eyes were filled with concern. Bofur's mirrored is instantly, sighing a bit. "Obviously there must have been something wrong, her body is covered in scars."

"Well lad, I think it's more of a matter of pride really. Thorin takes the loss of Erebor quite seriously, as do the rest of us. As to why he would take his frustrations out on a li'l lass like herself, I still don't quite understand. To tell ya the truth, I think he just doesn' want to take on the cares of others as well as his own." The two of them sat staring solemnly at the two beings at the head of the procession. Rinnah's tail was low, she looked as though she were sleep walking. Not looking around, her ears not even twitching. Her head was held a bit lower as well.

"Well, I hope that we may be able to brighten her up again, before we say goodbye, I mean. I wouldn't want to leave her like this." Bofur smiled at Bilbo's words, and elbowed him in the side.

"Aye lad, we'll make sure to do somethin' about it."

Rinnah's ears pricked as she listened to the river rushing by on their right. It was a wide river, but the pitch was much higher and quieter than what they had been trotting by. She slowed to a halt and looked over towards the river. Her voice was cheery, but it sounded forced.

"Here is the best place to cross, and not a moment too soon either, it's going to rain in a bit."

"Rain? But there isn't a cloud in the sky," called Ori. Rinnah shifted her gaze over to him. All of the dwarves had seemed more apprehensive after her and Thorin's "conversation."

"Yes, rain. I can smell it on the air, it always smells wet and salty, much like the sea." She looked over the sky again, then to the flowing water.

Taking great rapid bounds, she leapt like a deer across the river, landing gracefully on the other side. She then changed back to her human form, removing her leg wraps.

"Each of you come over one at a time, the river may be shallower, but i wouldn't prefer not to take any chances." Upon hearing this, Thorin became confused. He had yelled at this girl, attempting to scare her off, but still she helped them. He actually began feeling a small prick of guilt, but pushed it aside. One by one the ponies crossed the waters. Rinnah needed to run in only once, after a pony stumbled and knocked off Balin. Quick as a flash, she had run in catching him by the waist before he fell into the icy river.

Even Thorin was appreciative as Balin was helped back onto the pony, and finished the crossing. Internally battling his pride, Thorin walked over to Rinnah. Rinnah saw him storm over and subconsciously took a step back, her head dropping slightly. Confused by this, but pretending to not have noticed, he began to thank her.

"Well Rinnah, skin-changer. I thank you for the guide, and for your assistance to Balin." She merely gave a nod and continued to avert his eyes. Before he could speak however, the sound of hooves reached the clearing. From the bushes came a familiar shape. The dwarves all looked over both confused and surprised, along with Bilbo.

"Where were you," Thorin asked icily. Before an answer came, though, Rinnah's voice cut in.

"Mithrandir?"


	3. Chapter 3

Alright! Back to working on my fanfic. I hope everyone had a great holiday break. We get to learn a bit about Rinnah's past this time around.

* * *

_Before he could speak however, the sound of hooves reached the clearing. From the bushes came a familiar shape. The dwarves all looked over both confused and surprised, along with Bilbo._

_"Where were you," Thorin asked icily. Before an answer came, though, Rinnah's voice cut in._

_"Mithrandir?"_

* * *

"By my beard, if it isn't Rinnah!" Gandalf looked at the girl, obviously delighted to see her. She smiled back, equally delighted. "The last time I saw you, you weren't much more than a pup, following me everywhere. How have you been?"

"I've been doing what I can," she replied.

"And your clan? They must be doing well." Rinnah's eyes dimmed a bit, and she kept a straight face, not wanting to reply. Unaware to her internal struggle, Gandalf continued on, "And your parents! I shall be quite happy to see them again, along with your twin, Sinha." It was then that Gandalf noticed the scars, and his brows furrowed, his eyes questioning. Rinnah looked off to the foliage behind him. She could not look at him, shame creeping up her spine.

"My family isn't with me, Gandalf. I'm here alone." The dwarves looked between the two of them, feeling the tension grow. Bilbo was quite unsettled, and chose to remain towards the back of the group. Thorin however, seemed quite intrigued, and remained at his place. He folded his arms as he watched and waited for Rinnah to reveal more. His previous questioning having ended with heated words between him and the skin-changer.

"Where are they, then? Back in the Vales of Anduin?" His tone became clipped, and his eyes had darkened a bit in questioning.

"Yes and no." Her reply was just as short, and she even stole a glance at him, flinching as she saw his expression. He was not satisfied with that answer and stood taller, looking down upon her.

"Which is it Rinnah? Yes or no? I've not the time to waste with games, especially when you are covered in such ghastly scars." The company flinched along with the girl. None of them wished to cross the wizard, even though they might have joked about it before. Even Thorin had regretted his eagerness for a second.

"I'm not playing games, they are both there and not." Gandalf was about to retort when Rinnah continued, "Their bodies remain, but their souls have moved on." Her eyes were brimming with tears, her face riddled with guilt. Many of the company gasped, others just widened their eyes. Thorin's arms dropped to his sides. No one had been prepared for an answer like that.

"What happened?" Gandalf's voice had gentled his face softened. He whole-heartedly had regretted losing his temper so quickly with the child. He looked into her face and saw shame, remorse, and guilt. Rinnah took in a deep breath and shut her eyes, preparing how to respond.

"The Black Wolf," she replied bitterly.

"Black Wolf?" Everyone looked over at Bilbo, generally interested by the question and he quickly shrunk back. Gandalf chose to supply the answer, sparing Rinnah the trouble.

"Up until a year after the attack of Smaug," he began, "There was an evil being that plagued the Vales of Anduin. He flourished from the death and despair that he caused. He was nameless, none knew from whence he came. It was the skin-changers that kept him from moving from the Vales. They fought him constantly, losing many of their kind in the process. Eventually, elders of the clans had found a way to imprison him. It was not forever, but it was sure to serve its purpose until they had found a way to defeat him. But how, my dear, did he manage to get out?"

Rinnah just dropped her head, a few tears splashing onto the ground.

"It's all my fault," she said. Her entire being burned with shame.

"Rinnah, you cannot possibly bla-"

"This is why you came here? Because you set loose a terrible evil that even the wisest of your kind could not defeat? You bring this beast here?!" He stepped towards her, incredulous and furious. As he took a second step, she whipped around, and stared straight into his eyes. They had lost their color, looking grey and hopeless.

"Thorin, let her tell her side of the story, you know not of what you speak." Glancing at the wizard, then back at the girl, he huffed and crossed his arms once again. "Rinnah, if you please." Looking up at the wizard's concerned face, then towards the fearful faces of the company, she began her story.

* * *

_"Come on Rinnah!" A girl the same height and appearance as Rinnah shouted. It was her twin Sinha. Unlike Rinnah, though, her twin had red hair, and bright blue eyes that were blind. Rinnah just laughed as Sinha practically danced around her._

_"Give me a second birdbrain!"_

_"How long does it take to write a note furball?" Sinha stuck out her tongue and was suddenly pounced on by Rinnah. They tumbled over and laughed, warming up on their backs in the sun. Pinning the note to the door of their hut, the two sisters ran out towards the forest. Looking over at Sinha, she changed into her wolf form and slipped underneath her. Sinha gave a squeak as she was now off the ground and astride a running Rinnah. There were no scars on her person, and her eyes were bright as the sun in the sky. Clinging to her fur, Sinha tapped her in the ribs with her feet._

_"A little warning next time?"_

_"Maybe." Soon they passed into the valley where the salmon ran in the river. Rinnah had promised to teach Sinha every trick to surviving in the wilderness. She always did as Sinha asked, just as she did for Rinnah. Slowing before the pebbly edge, Sinha hopped off of her sister's back and waited for Rinnah to change. They then entered the water, Sinha's face scrunching up as the water, frigid, embraced her lower legs. Today was the day that Sinha would learn to fish in the river by hand. Rinnah had learned the previous year from their uncle, so she was more than happy to share this new knowledge with her sister._

_"Stand perfectly still Sinha, and feel for how the river moves." Sinha's face became calm and pensive at once as she began to concentrate. "Wait until you know how it runs, learn the ebb and flows." Breathing in deeper she looked towards her sister and nodded. Smiling, Rinnah began speaking again._

_"Now, there's a fish headed straight for you, don't try to catch this one, just feel for how the water moves around it, how it changes the river." Once again Sinha pensively concentrated, smirking with excitement as she felt the disturbance._

_"I felt it."_

_"Good, now put your hand into the water where the fish was." As she went to reach for the water, a raven suddenly landed on her shoulder, causing her to flail and fall into Rinnah's arms._

_"Corvis?What are you doing here?" Rinnah was still supporting her twin and gave him a hard stare._

_"Sorry about that, I heard from a hawk that you were teaching Sinha to fish, and I thought I might be of use."_

_"For what," Sinha asked, "Scaring away the fish?" They all laughed, but suddenly stopped as they heard a pained growling moan from the forest on the far side of the river. Looking at Rinnah, she raised a brow and asked, "Should we go check it out?"_

_"Probably, they made need some help." The three continued across the river, Corvis sitting on Sinha's shoulder. They made their way through the trees, weaving around fallen rocks and thorny bracken. Finally, they reached a clearing, and found a black bear wedged underneath a fallen rock. Most of the skin-changers never travelled out this far and animals knew better than to wander this far into the forest. The entire situation was odd, and Rinnah became apprehensive immediately._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Black bear, trapped under a boulder" Rinnah's shoulders tensed and raised, showing her discomfort. Sinha on the other hand, was more than eager to help the bear._

_"Well we can't just leave him here," she said brightly, "Don't worry sir, we can help you out from under that rock!" Rinnah glanced over at her sister. She may be apprehensive, but her sister was right, they couldn't just leave him. Walking over to the rock, she picked the singular serrated charm off her chain, it seemingly melting through the link. Then she flicked her wrist out, the steel lengthening and growing in size. The process stopped suddenly, Rinnah now holding a large, slightly curved, sword. It was serrated on one edge as well, reminiscent of the charm it had just been. She wedged the sword between the boulder and the rock it was wedged against. Taking off her chain, it grew as it was a considerable length, it stopped, and she wove it around the sword, and then continued to wrapped around a tree._

_"Hey Sinha, can you tie this on," Rinnah asked as she changed into a wolf. Sinha happily made her way over, and grabbed at the chain. Her own necklace flashed in the sunlight, mirror image of the one that Rinnah owned. Taking the end of the chain from the ground, she wrapped it around and fashioned a harness. Finally prepared, Rinnah pulled forward with all her strength, slowly moving, step by step. The boulder slowly lifted, as the sword wedged and lifted underneath it. Once sufficiently moved, the black bear slipped out, knocking out the sword as well. Rinnah quickly changed back and grabbed both the chain and sword, setting them back into the familiar form of her , she saw the bear staring at them intently, almost hungrily._

_"Well dear ones, thank you so very much for helping me out of that tight spot." He grinned toothily at them, his eyes growing harder and colder, almost glinting red._

_"It was nothing," Rinnah replied, her teeth gritted. She was so tense, that she could hardly unclench her jaw. Corvis noticed the change and whispered into Sinha's ear during the entire exchange._

_"Sinha, go home." Rinnah was still staring at the bear. He just grinned even wider, and Sinha opened her mouth to question her sister, but was stopped by Corvis. Eyes glinting, the bear moved towards the blind twin, but Corvis had already warned her. Sinha turned right around and ran, changing into a hawk as she leapt towards the sky. Upon her first movement, the bear had lunged, but was hit in the side by Rinnah, now a wolf. She buried her teeth into his flesh, attempting to tear the chunk off. She let go as the bears head whipped towards her. When she landed, she looked up to see not a bear, but a huge black wolf, eyes red as blood._

_"Your sister may have gotten a head start, but I will not take to you or her lightly." He laughed as he seemingly melted into the air. The Black Wolf, it was really him. Knowing what she did, she was only just comforted by the fact that his strength was so very depleted. Turning tail she ran as fast as she could back to the village. Crashing through the bracken, and splashing through the river, she continued at a breakneck pace. There was nothing that could stop her. Upon reaching the outskirts, she heard snarling, screaming, and fighting. Carefully she slunk towards the din, her eyes widening at what she saw. It was her tribe, fighting eachother with wild abandon. Families had turned on one another, children were strewn about, the weakest and first to die. All of the skin-changers were berserking, and their eyes held a small flash of red, evidence of their tainting from the Black Wolf._

_Rinnah searched frantically for her sister, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Finally, she spotted Sinha on a large branch above the chaos, and hidden from it. Quickly she ran to the tree and climbed it. Slinking across the branch, Corvis saw her and flicked Sinha's face with his wing tip. Sinha turned, tears and fear flooding her eyes._

_"Father killed Mother." Rinnah bit back a gasp and the tears she felt pricking at the corners of her eyes. She looked intently at her sister. Sinha began speaking again, "This is all my fault."_

_"No, it was mine. I was the one who actually pried him out from under the boulder, his prison."_

_Suddenly, the both of them fell silent. There was no sounds of fighting or pain. They stared confused for a second, until a large body hit the branch they were on. Rinnah, thinking quickly, knocked her twin back onto the branch as she fell. After hitting the ground, the wind was knocked out of her, and she twisted around wide-eyed to see her father staring down at her with wild eyes. A white lion, ready to kill. She was terrified, but she wasn't about to let her sister down. Turning into a wolf she snarled, running at him in some attempt to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately as she leapt, he brought his left paw up, claws unsheathed, and ripped down from her right shoulder to her stomach. She yelped as she fell and changed back into a child from the pain and shock. He then twisted around and took his right paw to rip down from the same shoulder down and across her back._

_Burning, the wounds felt as if they were on fire. She had no breath to cry out in pain. She couldn't even cry, the pain keeping her brain from controlling her actions. She just breathed heavily and stared before her. Soon she rolled onto her good side, changing back into a wolf with the hopes of delaying him for at least a few minutes more, so that Sinha might have the chance to run. She stared helplessly up at her father, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bear to look as he hurtled toward her. She closed her eyes and just whispered, knowing that it would do nothing._

_"Please... Da... just come back." She could hear him jump to pounce on her torn body, but no pain came. There was a thump, and a silence. Opening her eyes, Rinnah could see her fathers body, still a lion, lying still on the ground. A curved, serrated knife stuck out from his mane, from the base of his skull. Surprised and fearful, she looked behind him to see Corvis lying on the ground, his head turned at an impossible angle._

_"No, not you too. Not you Sinha." Her twin landed in front of her, a mad smile creeping across her face. Her eyes glinted with red and bloodlust. She spoke, but the voice was not entirely her own._

_"Poor Rinnah, did you really think that I would let you save anyone? Besides, it's probably in this girls best interest to be killed. It's almost pathetic, her blindness keeps her dependent." The smile widened, and the eyes darkened even more. Rinnah, battered and bleeding rose to her feet. Her eyes, streaming tears, stared pleadingly. Sinha grabbed the knife from their father's body, and it became a charm once again, which she attached to her own chain._

_"Please, give her back. You can kill me instead." A sudden movement and searing pain. She opened her eyes, her left covered in blood making it hard to see. Her twin just stared with a smile, right hand stained red, her nails like claws._

_"How does it feel? Having the one you love most attack you? Do you feel hopeless yet? You see, I need your despair to bring back my strength, but first I need you at your weakest. Of course, you look dead on your feet now, so I think I will bind us." Seperating from Sinha who stood dazed and motionless. He came forward and knocked her to the ground, his paw on her left side. Black fire then sprouted around his paw, burning and searing into her flesh. She screamed, feeling the pain in her very core. All the pain from her tribe she felt, and the guilt from setting loose this evil. The flames stopped soon, her side raw and burned. He just stood above her laughing at towards the sky. His shoulders shook with mirth as she paddle her limbs, trying to get some twisted grip on reality._

_It was then that she looked up to her sister, seemingly awoken from her daze. Rinnah could see that Sinha felt her stare. The blind girl felt the blood on her hand, realizing it was not hers. She could feel the remnants of Rinnah's pain as well. Her brows furrowed in concentration as tears leaked from the corners. Taking the blood covered hand, she discreetly brought it up to her neck, and drew a red line across it. She was too scared to take her own life, but she wanted to die on her terms. She wanted Rinnah to save her. Realizing her intent, and the loss of contact from the heavy paw, Rinnah rose to her feet. Before the Black Wolf could mutter a word, she leapt and clamped her jaws around her twin's throat and tore it, landing above her sister's body._

_The gaping wound kept bleeding, but left Sinha time to do as she needed. Tears flowed freely from both of their eyes, but sad smiles graced their worn faces. Taking of her necklace, Sinha brought it up to Rinnah's neck, where it melded into it's mate, the two charms proudly hanging at each other's sides. The Black Wolf tried to leap at them, but was forced back. The fleeting happiness that the two felt was enough to repel him. Sinha's hand went behind Rinnah's ear and scratched lovingly. Her voice quiet, she merely whispered to her sister._

_"Thanks furball," her eyes dimming. The hand slowly stopped and lowered to the ground. Filled with grief and pride, Rinnah tilted her head up and howled, letting out every emotion she held. The Black Wolf, weakened by the display, faded. He was not gone, and Rinnah knew that. She also knew that she had to keep grief at bay, and her sister's charm was radiating with warmth. She could still slip up, he could still come back, but it would be much harder._

* * *

Upon finishing her tale, she could feel the tears flowing. She picked up her head, looking tired and spent. Her brows came together in frustration and shame.

"I'm so sorry." After the sentence, she fell to the ground, exhausted by the grief that washed over her. The company jumped to aid her, and surrounded her worried by the fall. Gandalf's eyes were shiny and filled with sorrow.

"We must take her with us," he said. Thorin whipped around on him.

"No, I will not be responsible for her as well."

"You needn't be, she is more than capable of caring for herself, she survived for over a year since the incident. All she needs is people to be around, and she can assist your company greatly in your quest." His eyes sparkled as he continued, "And it is never unwise to have a skin-changer at your disposal."

Thorin sighed, and heeded the wizard's words. He was right, she would be helpful to them. He looked up to see a shadow in the trees with a glint of red, but it soon faded. Looking down at the girl, his eyes softened, seeing how concerned the rest of the company was.

"On your ponies lads. And Bofur, she can ride with you." The dwarves looked up at their leader, then moved to follow his orders. Helping Bofur to lift the unconscious girl, they placed her in front of him on the saddle. Once everyone had mounted, they set out at a brisk trot to cover for lost time. Bofur held the girl to his chest. She was sideways in the saddle, and leaned against him, burrowing into the warmth. He smiled down warmly at her and softly murmured into her hair.

"Don't ya worry lass, we'll help ya all we can."

* * *

Made this one substantially longer to make up for the break. I really like the charms and chains, even though they seem to …. "convenient." It is important and not at the same time.

Anyway, reviews are always welcome! And if you want to see any story art, please refer to the "Chapter" before this one. It has my tumblr account where I will be posting everything "Hobbit" and Rinnah.


	4. Chapter 4

The company was riding steadily forward, and currently on the lookout for a reasonable shelter. Just as Rinnah had said, it was going to rain. It was so sudden, the sky darkening and obscuring with storm clouds. Then the rain started, a few drops at first, changing to a steady drizzle. Rinnah was roused from sleep when a particularly heavy drop hit her head. She blinked and looked about blearily for a second before resting her head back against the warmth.

"So you're up then lass?" Tilting her head upwards, she could see a smiling Bofur staring down at her warmly. She smiled back as he continued, "It's raining, just like you said."

"I hate it when I'm right," she murmured with a pout. Noticing a lack of wieght on her shoulders, she turned to look up at the dwarf again. "Where's my shoulder armor?"

"Oh, I put them with our packs," he gestured behind him, "Believe it or not lass, they aren't the most comfortable things to have pressed into your front." The two of them laughed, earning a glare from Bilbo, who didn't like riding in the rain at all. He just huffed and raised up his shoulders, he was cold, and did not have a hood of his own. "Don't look so down lad, at least it's not more than a drizzle." Well that certainly did it. From a sprinkling to a deluge in seconds.

"Well thanks Bofur!" Rinnah had to shout over the sound of rain. She looked over at Bilbo again, who was looking even more miserable now. Smiling she reached behind Bofur to grab her pack, pulling her cape from it. Bilbo looked on with envy before refocusing on the road. Suddenly he squeaked as the cape was thrown over him, the mask only perched atop his head. He didn't have to look through the eyeholes with it sitting at this angle, and it certainly kept him dry. He looked over to see Rinnah, now a wolf, trotting between the two ponies.

"Don't you boys worry," she said as the two opened their mouths,"Got some Ice Bear in my blood, so the rain won't completely soak me." The two ponies seemed quite happy to have her there. They even nickered to her, keeping up a conversation to which she always replied to enthusiastically. She could speak several different tongues, and could communicate with most every animal she encountered. Bofur and Bilbo just watched curiously, and raised their eyebrows when Rinnah let out a loud squeak before looking embarassed.

"What'd they say?" Rinnah just turned to looked at Bofur, an odd expression passing over her face. She looked like she was about to laugh and cringe at the same time.

"Uh, not much, just talking to me about how the journey has been going so far. Things like the weather, the scenery... questionable noises and interactions during the night," Her eyes slowly shifting upwards, not wanting to look directly at anyone, "And I don't mean beasts, although the sounds the described sounded right beastly." Bilbo's face went completely red, as did Bofur's, as they looked at the rest of the company. The two of them had guessed the possibility was there, and each had certainly taken care of themselves. Still, it was pretty awkward considering the teen they had with them. Before anyone could say anything to break the uneasy silence, Thorin called from the head of the group.

"Rinnah! I need to speak with you for a moment, and ask a favor." Perking her ears forward with a sigh of relief, she gave a quick "Later" and ran towards their leader. She weaved through ponies, ocassionally bumping a leg on the way. Upon reaching the head of the line, she placed herself between Thorin's pony and Gandalf's horse.

"Yes sir?" She was quite intrigued by Thorin's request. She wondered what he could possibly need from her.

"Rinnah, I should have listened more closely when you promised rain," he was not apologizing, but it was as close as she would get, and that was fine.

"Ah, well you're not the first, and certainly won't be the last." A quick flick of eyes had shown a glare from the gruff dwarf.

"Do you think you could find us some suitable shelter, I don't want my men getting sick any time soon, nor our supplies damaged."

"Or the ponies sick I imagine." There was a grunt from the dwarf, which she took as an affirmative. "Right then, be back as quick as I can!" She dashed off into the woods, as fast as she could to find a shelter quickly. After she left, Gandalf turned to Thorin.

"Seems as though you've already found a use for our skin-changer," he said eyes twinkling, "Tasks like this are good for her, she was always trying to please people. She loved getting the thanks, and has never failed a task as long as I have known her." Thorin just grunted, not exactly wanting to admit that he found her useful. Just because he could order her around with an enthusiastic response didn't mean he was going to like her any more than he was forced to.

* * *

"Here, Mr. Gandalf! Can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori looked right uncomfortable as the rain continued to pour on them. It was cold, and the rain seemed to soak through his cloak as though it were made of silk. Gandalf just furrowed his brows, he was tired and wished that he wouldn't be called upon for such impossible tasks merely because he was a wizard. Even with the power to do so, he still would not change the natural occurrences for his own benefit.

"It is raining Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world you should find yourself another wizard." He didn't have to turn round to know that the grey haired dwarf was sitting grumpily upon his pony. He was then surprised by a question from their burglar.

"Are there any?"

"What?"

"Other wizards?" Gandalf couldn't help but let a small smile grace his weary and tired face.

"There are five of us. The greatest of our Order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two blue wizards," he paused confusedly, "You know I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo was quite interested now, but confused all the same that Gandalf hadn't a clue the two wizards' names.

"Well that would be Radagast, the Brown," he said fondly.

"Is he a great wizard? Or is he... more like you?" Gandalf looked positively affronted by the question, and had to refrain from hitting the young hobbit about the head with the end of his staff.

"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul, who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East. And a good thing, too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world." Gandalf had begun worrying about Rinnah, having been gone for a while. He was about to call to Thorin when a white blur crashed through the brush, Rinnah tripping over he paws and rolling into a tree across the path. She got up, wobbling slightly before shaking her head to clear it. The company had a good laugh as she regained her composure, shouting "advice" at her.

"You might wanna stop if there's a tree in your path," shouted Kili.

"Aye, someone might begin to think you're a little thick in the skull," shouted Kili. Rinnah just quirked a brow.

"Well maybe hard-headed boys should learn not to insult the one who just found a cave to stay the night in, or at least wait out the storm." The two brothers just sat, opening and closing their mouths, eyes wide. They quickly threw apologies her way, getting some jeers from the other dwarves.

"Well Rinnah, would you mind leading us to this cave?" Thorin looked almost happy, his eyes sparkling slightly as he looked upon his now silent nephews.

"My pleasure." She quickly turned back to the brush she had barreled through, and started off at a lope. The ponies, upon hearing the mention of shelter, were all but galloping after her. It took ten minutes, but they made it to a sizable cave. Rinnah had completely checked it, sniffing every corner and crevice as a precaution. She stood at the entrance, waiting for the rest of the company to file in. They all took off their cloaks, and outer-most clothes, throwing them onto the various ledges and boulders within the cave. Fili and Kili, having thought of another jest for their youngest member turned to her as she stood just inside the cave.

"Don't know if you should come in much farther, have to shake off some water don't ya?" Fili's eyes sparkled mischievously. He nudged Kili in the ribs, the two of them laughing. The rest of the dwarves just sighed and shook their heads. Didn't this go horribly the first time?

"Ya know Fili, I never really liked the smell of wet dog," he said between chuckles. Rinnah didn't seem bothered at all, quite the opposite in fact. Sure that she was far enough away from the rest of the company, she started of shaking from her head working down and back. The water seemed to just flow down her body, pooling in the thick fur of her tail. One quick flick and...

SPLAT! -Thump-

There on the floor sat a bewildered, and now soaking Kili. The dwarves all roared with laughter, even Bilbo flinging a hand over his mouth to stifle the inevitable giggles. Kili just spluttered as he tried to wring the water out of his shirt. He whipped his head up to glare at Rinnah, now a slightly damp girl.

"Oh dear, Kili, what happened?" A look of innocence and bewilderment cast over her features. The company was practically doubled over, and Fili had to grab his brother's arm before he went after the girl. She just smirked as he fought Fili's grip. Then she gave a loud dog-like sneeze. Then a shout came from Dori about her needing to change into drier clothes, and that she very much needed something to dry off with.

"We can't very well have her catching a cold now, can we? She found us a nice cave to stay in, and gave her own cloak to our burglar." Gandalf smiled as Dori spoke, and his grin grew as the other dwarves scrounged around in their packs. It was Balin who found an thin, extra blanket. He rolled it up and tossed it to the girl who quickly reached up to grab it. As she stretched her arm almost to the limit, she gave a hiss of pain and clutched at her scar, the blanket falling on the ground next to her.

"Are you alright, Rinnah", called Bilbo. She look up at him, genuine confusion in her eyes.

"I don't know, this hasn't ever happened before." It was then that Oin began walking over to her. Being the company's expert in medicine, he gave her a quick look over before coming to a conclusion.

"Well, it's nothing too serious. Your skin has tightened in the cold and rain, but your scar cannot properly stretch along with it. So any sudden, forceful movements would undoubtedly leave you with some pain." He put a hand on the scar to assess the temperature and shook his head. "She needs a fire and dry clothes, I will make up a salve to help soften and loosen the scarred skin."

"It's still raining though, we'll just get soaked again," came a cry from Fili.

"How 'bout we send your brother then," Dwalin said with a grin, "He is still wet, a little more isn't going to hurt." Laughter came to play again, Rinnah joining in as well. Kili got up with a huff, and grabbed his still wet clothes and went back into the rain, grumbling about stupid white mutts. The girl just kept grinning, and followed Oin into the cave. He told her to change her clothes to dry ones, and she went off behind a boulder to do so. She had been meaning to change when the weather started getting colder. So she grabbed out a shirt from her back. It was black, and stopped right underneath her breasts as the last one had, but this one came up to her neck, and had long sleeves. She had a large brown fur vest to throw over it, but she wasn't going to put that on until after Oin had applied the salve. She laced up the back and tied it. Next she changed into another pair of black leggings, a similar brown wrap about her waist, and left off her leg warmers in order to dry them. She also grabbed a smaller and thinner fur blanket out of her pack to sleep on.

The rest of the company had stripped out of their outer clothes, and had set up bed rolls around the cave. Rinnah kept hers away from the rest, because although she trusted them, she knew that they did not completely trust her. Laying the blanket down, and setting her pack beside it, she looked over to wear Oin was sitting, mixing up various plants and herbs to make her salve. Once finished, he made his way over, and handed her a jar.

"Here you are then, you shan't need much at a time, but make sure to apply it before the scarring gets unbearable." He clapped a hand onto her shoulder before walking away. She opened the jar to find a pale tan mixture. It was a little hard at first, but softened as she began rubbing it over the large scar. When finished, she still shivered slightly, and sat waiting for it to completely sink in. She would put the vest on after she was sure it wouldn't get all over. It was then that Kili came in, somehow managing to find some dry wood, and soon a fire was going. Dinner was being cooked, and Rinnah sat off to the side, not sure if she was supposed to be getting any. Then Balin came over with a bowl for her, and the girl's eyes widened.

"What lass, did ya think you weren't going to get any?" She just set her mouth in a straight line, and looked off to the side, a little embarrassed. Balin just laughed and handed it to her. She ate it gratefully and help to clean the dishes when everyone had finished. Then she put on her vest and went over to her fur blanket. She wasn't that cold, now that she was dry and a fire was going. She stood on top of the blanket, spinning three times before dropping onto it, and curling up into a ball. She heard a few sniggers, but brushed it off, too tired to say anything.

She had been sleeping quite peacefully, until the thunder started. After the first crash and booms, she practically flailed awake, breathing heavily and darting her eyes around the cave. The company was asleep, aside from Thorin, who was on watch. He eyed her thoughtfully as she lowered herself back to the ground, shaking with fear. He just sat and watched the girl, then looked upon his company. Most of them were sleeping in groups, even Bofur and Bilbo were sleeping next to each other. He knew that she enjoyed spending time with them, but he would prefer to have her sleep next to someone else. It wasn't that he was going soft, he told himself, he just didn't want to drag around an exhausted child. He smirked as his eyes settled on the perfect candidate, then glanced over as he heard the tiniest of whimpers from their skin-changer.

Rolling his eyes, he walked over to where she slept, and threw her over his shoulder, blanket and all. She hung limply, too afraid to even breathe. She let out her breath in huff, though, when she was dropped right onto another bedroll. She looked over and saw an equally surprised Ori, who opened his mouth to question why she was there. Upon glancing towards Thorin, he promptly shut it and pulled Rinnah over to him, throwing the rest of his knitted blanket it over her. Satisfied, the king went back over to the rock he had been sitting on, and stared into the flames. Rinnah had stopped shivering, and rolled over to look at Ori.

"Rinnah, why did," he began to ask. A particularly loud crash of thunder sent Rinnah scrambling to hide in Ori's front, her face snuggling into his grey scarf. Ori just stared, not knowing what to do, before just throwing and arm over her, and trying to fall back asleep. Rinnah breathed in Ori's scent, it smelled like wool and earth. It was a comforting scent, and she smiled as she nuzzled in closer, trying to breathe all of it in at once. Then she noticed the blanket draped over the two of them. The girl had never felt yarn before, much less knit work. Her entire life she had worn nought but skins. Even her breeches were made of skins with fine black hair. This stuff wasn't exactly as soft as fur, but it was quite cozy, and she couldn't exactly figure out how it work. She had watched Ori knit while on his pony, but couldn't seem to understand how the needle movements could actually produce this confusing design of loops. Resting her head back into the scarf, she made up her mind to ask Ori for either knitting lessons, or at least a pair of gloves.

Thorin was back on the other side of the fire, and watched Rinnah with an amused expression. He quickly realized that she probably never had anything knitted, that far North. He knew that most who lived there wore skins, and that skin changers never were really ones known for their clothing. Noting that the girl was still twitching slighlty in her sleep, he reached for his own pack and brought out his harp to play. He hummed along to the tune as the thunder gradually softened to leave behind only the sound of rain. It had been two hours, his watch finally over. Making his way over to wear Dwalin slept, he nudged the dwarf awake, and then left for his own bed roll. After a few minutes of yawning and turning, he finally fell asleep himself.

**Whoo! I'm starting to make these chapters longer which is always fun. I think from now on I will just open these documents in the Doc Manager and write until I feel that they are long enough. Editing them on the site is a lot better, because I don't have to work with pages, which make the text seem a lot longer than it is.**

**And no, Rinnah and Ori will not be having a relationship. I had Thorin toss her with Ori for a couple reasons:**

**-Ori wouldn't try anything during the night.**

**-I think that cuddling with Ori is just too damn adorable**

**-Something about Rinnah feeling knit work for the first time just makes me wanna squeal.**

**Any way, reviews are appreciated. I try not to make things to OOC, but if there is anything that really upsets you, just let me know. I never turn away constructive criticism.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alrighty, on to the new chapter!**

* * *

Rinnah was still pressed against Ori. She had slept better than she had in the past year. Some other members of the company had already gotten up. The rain was still pouring outside, and they weren't going to leave until it stopped. Rinnah opened hers eyes slightly as she heard someone approach. They remained almost closed, her brows coming together as she side-eyed the dwarf who had the nerve to disturb her. It was Fili. Well wasn't that just peachy. She kept glaring at him as his smile grew wider.

"Oi, Rinnah, never knew your were one for mittens and cardigans." He turned to the company. "Have you boys seen this? Rinnah's cuddling with Ori!" Ori had woken up blearily, rubbing his eyes. He started blushing as Fili continued making jokes. Rolling her eyes before closing them, Rinnah pulled up a leg to her chest. She then gave Fili a kick to the arse that a mule would be proud of before rolling back over and cocooning back into the blanket to get some more sleep. Fili pitched forward, falling flat on his face. Laughter filled the cave. He turned round quickly glaring at the two, Ori scrambling to get up, then running to hide behind Dori. He stood over Rinnah, one foot one either side.

"That was bloddy rude, that was." The girl rolled onto her back, body curved like a cat as she looked up at him confusedly.

"Fili, I just gave you a mule kick to the arse. Is it really that good of an idea to have your stones within range as well?" She stared up at him, her eyes were still glazed over with sleep as she rubbed one of them with the heel of her hand.

"Rinnah," came a cold, stern voice. The two turned to find the rest of the company watching them intently. Most of them seemed amused, while some just shook their heads wearily. Thorin was glaring daggers at the two of them, while Kili stood behind him trying his hardest not to laugh. With a huff Rinnah rolled over, changing into a wolf as she did so, before pulling herself to her feet. She wearily stretched, one leg after the other, before straightening up as a girl.

"I'm not the one making lewd jokes," she said tiredly. She stretched her arms up until her back gave a satisfying crack. Thorin kept staring, arms crossed. He then turned to Fili.

"Oh come on! She makes it so easy," Fili whined. He needed to do _something _to keep himself entertained.

"I don't care who started it, or whose fault it is. I do not want to drag around immature children on this journey, I have enough to worry about as it is." He cuffed Kili about the head, "This goes for you as well." The three just pouted before moving away from eachother, dispersing about the cave.

Kili and Fili had went over to talk with Dwalin, trying to distract themselves. Rinnah just tiredly walked over to where Bilbo and Bofur sat, turning three times before sitting down with them.

"Why do you do that," asked Bilbo.

"Do what?" She couldn't think of what he was talking about.

"That turning thing."

"Oh," she said looking utterly complexed, "I don't know really. I've always done it. It's just something wolves do, and being that I'm technically part wolf..." She left the sentence to hang in the air, shrugging her shoulders. She looked around for Ori, sweeping the cave as she did so. Halfway her eyes locked with Thorin's, who was glaring at her. She took on an almost submissive posture before continuing her search. She spotted Ori, who happened to be looking her way, and waved him over. He quickly weaved his way past the other dwarves and sat down with them.

"Rinnah I'm sorry about that," he said sheepishly. She just laughed and gave him a soft punch to the arm.

"Don't you worry about it."

"Aye lad, those two have always been ones for mischief," he looked over at Rinnah, "They probably are just trying to show off for a little lass that they just met." Rinnah sputtered before laughing.

"I don't think that's it Bofur, sorry. I mean look at me." She gestured to each part in turn as she talked about it. "I've got white hair at sixteen, I'm scrawnier than a deer in winter, I'm _covered_ in scars, and my eyes don't even match." Her tone was joking, but her eyes actually seemed to darken a bit. Bofur just narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Now don't go on talking about yourself like that lass. Anyone would be lucky to have ya." Bilbo and Ori both nodded in agreement. Rinnah's face fell slightly, and she just sighed.

"Yeah, sure. Even before the scars boys didn't have an interest in me." She rested her chin on her hand. "I was always "Folkvar's _other_ daughter". All of the boys chased after my sister for her red hair and matching blue eyes." She was pouting now. They all looked at her, stunned and sobered. Taking one look at them, she suddenly smiled warmly.

"I guess, though, it really was the best thing. I couldn't always be there to take care of her, and it was actually quite surprising so many trying to win over a blind girl. Most skin-changers won't even consider taking a mate that isn't equally skilled," she brightened even more, "There was even an eagle that wanted her. Which of course would've been perfect. I mean, I helped her learn to fly, and found her a guide, but having two birds in love is a beautiful thing to watch. Many of the bird-kind would do these daring stunts to prove their complete trust and love." She looked to see all of the others smiling again.

"You helped your sister learn to fly? But... how?" Bilbo looked quite confused and curious.

"Easy, found a bird willing to help, then we jumped of a cliff," she said shrugging her shoulders. They just gaped at her.

"YOU. JUMPED OFF. A. BLOODY CLIFF. WITH YOUR BLIND SISTER? JUST TO TEACH HER TO FLY?!" Bilbo was exasperated and looked like he was about to give her a good whallop. Rinnah just stared, eyes wider than ever. The rest of the company came crowding around, everyone trying to calm Bilbo.

"Bilbo it was fine, the cliff was only a hundred feet or so, and the face of it had more than enough jutting rocks for me to land on if I wanted. My dad taught me how to jump cliffs when I was ten, and he sent me to stay with a herd of mountain goats for a week to master it." Everyone looked surprised, amused, and impressed. Still, though, Bilbo looked angry as all hell. Rinnah just nervously stared at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand.

"Besides, Sinha was completely safe. Though she did not know how to fly, Corvis could have more than supported her and help her at least glide down. I was the only one in real danger. And honestly, her health and safety was much more important then mine. I was perfectly healthy and hardy, while she was blind," she rolled her eyes, "You should have _seen _beating my aunt gave me. I spent the next week forced to lie on my stomach to sleep." She kept talking as though it were nothing, the others looking horrified.

"Your aunt beat you?" Ori asked with frightened concern. Rinnah just cocked a brow.

"Well, yeah. I kinda deserved it," her tone sounded bored, "Everyone made it pretty clear that I should be taking care of myself. And I never really heard a word against it." Gandalf had made his way over, holding his still-burning pipe.

"Rinnah, how come you never told me any of this?" She just looked at him as if he had two heads. Her mouth even opened a bit.

"I just... I just said that I deserved it. People told me that Sinha was more important to take care of. It was normal, I was always a second thought. Well, except when it came to my her and my parents, but everyone thought they were odd. The two of them lived on their own in the forest for the longest time." The company still stared, open mouthed and outraged. "What? Isn't that what's supposed to happen? No one else in our tribe had twins before. Aren't you just suppose to choose one ?"

"Oh, Rinnah," Gandalf said wearily, his eyes closing in sorrow. Rinnah's eyes darkened, confusion and hurt more than apparent.

"But... but it's normal, isn't it?" She looked close to tears. Looking around she saw everyone avert her eyes as she swept the company. "They wouldn't just abandon me without reason. I mean that would be insane. Wouldn't it? That's how it's supposed to be, isn't it? Isn't it?"

She was frantic now, eyes flicking back and forth, her hands caught up in her, hair pressing against her skull in frustration. She was crying now, her words quickly breaking down into shallow breaths. She was panicking, and all the voices around her seemed distant, as though her ears were full of wool. Rinnah shut her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw. She was shutting down, trying to calm herself. Now she was terrified. She was supposed to suppress all of her negative feelings in order to keep _Him_ at bay. Just then something quickly snaked around her waist, pulling her into a warm lap. She turned her head, confused, to feel herself being crushed against a dwarf's chest. She was so scared that she hadn't been able to recognize who it was, until she inhaled. It was warm, like metal and embers, Bofur. He was carding through her hair, whispering calming words. She just pushed her head hard into his front, not wanting to look at the other's. She was embarrassed. She had lost her cool again, and Thorin was probably going to kick her out, and abandon her on the road.

Thorin had been listening to the conversation with worry and concern. She thought that it was okay to be treated worse for being a _twin_? Twins in his culture were seen as treasures, valued highly. More often than not, they were spoiled and looked after carefully. To see this girl think that she wasn't supposed to be loved. He clung to the words of her parents being different. It was horrifying, the thought that her parents and sibling were considered odd for loving her. His eyes widened as she began to panic. It was within reason he realized. They had just told her that she had been hated when she did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Rinnah, you must calm down." Gandalf was speaking slowly, "it's going to be alright. None of this is your fault."

"Come on Rinnah," Fili and Kili pleaded, "We need you to mess with us." They were crouched down, almost crying as the watched her break. All of the dwarves were trying to comfort her with words, even Bilbo joined in with fervor. Bofur hadn't said a word, but he did pull her into his lap. He was trying so hard to calm her as she whined like a frightened animal. She wouldn't stop shaking, breathing shallowly. Nothing seemed to work, until Thorin cut in for the first time.

"Rinnah, I don't care if you mess with my nephews. I don't mind if you occasionally act childish. I am not leaving you out here to fend for yourself. Now try and calm down, cheer up. We pledged to help you keep this monster at bay, do not give up so soon little wolf." He was surprised at how much he cared, and the others just stared at him. They knew that he could tolerate her, but did not hope to think that he would have gotten so attached as quick as they all had. Slowly the breathing evened out, shaking ceased. Bangs covering her eyes in shadow, the girl turned her head to look at him with eyes clouded in confusion and hope.

"You're not going to send me away?"

"Of course not little wolf."

* * *

Two days had passed since the incident. Rinnah and Thorin had become closer, and all of the company kept a closer eye on her. Not to say that she couldn't take care of herself, but they felt a certain need to fill in for the lack of familial support. During one of their breaks she had even tried learning how to knit from Ori, but for some reason she couldn't get it even remotely right. Instead of getting upset though, she just laughed. Handing back the materials to him, she mentioned that skin-changers had never really been ones for such tasks. They were made for hunting, carving, and crafting with materials that would not break so easily. To make it up to him, she had decided to carve him a pair of new knitting needles with one of her charms. The company had watched in amazement as the metal changed fluidly before their eyes.

"What is tha?" Rinnah looked over at Bofur, who was looking curiously with pipe in hand. She looked back at the charm.

"This? It's called _Bor Stål_, or "Living Steel," she explained with enthusiasm, "It is very rare and hard to find, but it draws off of the user's strength in order to change. It is a very useful, but dangerous metal. Anyone who had some made sure never to use it to the fullest extent frequently. It was okay for a battle, the adrenaline fueling it, but it is smarter to just fight as your animal." She saw a few concerned looks and laughed, "Don't worry, it takes hardly energy to keep it at knife size." She then grabbed one of the black walnut branches she had found. Quickly and deftly she smoothed and carved it. The wood was dark, but beautiful. Most everyone had gone back to what they had been doing. Bifur though, had come to watch her. Being a toymaker, and quite fond of carving, he found her methods quite interesting. She used quick strokes, leaving the design raised at the base of the needle, then let it gently flow into the wood. There would be no fear of yarn being caught. She moved just as quickly onto the next one.

Bifur picked up the first needle, inspecting it gently. A small doe and fawn carved into the base, the background a forest. He smiled as Rinnah finished the second, holding out his empty hand to her. She looked with surprise, but handed it to him nonetheless. He expected this one with wonder. It had a stag, standing proudly with powerful sweeping antlers. Looking back up to her eyes, he gave a grunt and made circling motions over the two. She faltered for a split second before smiling.

"You have polish with you?" Bifur nodded with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him for some, Thorin called for everyone to mount, the break over. Rinnah looked put out, but Bifur clapped a hand onto her shoulder, still holding the needles. He pointed at himself, then made the same circular motions. He was offering to polish them for her, since she refused to ride, claiming that the ponies did not need more to carry. With a smile she thanked him quickly, turning into a wolf. Before running off to join the others however, she gave him a gentle headbutt to the chest. He tugged one of her ears before shoving her over to the others. She bounded over to talk with Fili and Kili, since she had spent the entire morning with Bofur and Bilbo.

"And how is our little partner in crime then," Kili nudged her with his leg, "Bored of the burglar and the toymaker already?" She smiled up at him.

"Not really, they have such great stories. I just think the two of you might start pining if I don't spend time with you." A smirk settled on her lips.

"Oh, Kili, she has us rather figured out now doesn't she?"

"Quite right Fili. Aule knows we couldn't live without her." She nipped both of their legs, gaining laughs from the both of them. The company was moving steadily forward, the sun still high the sky. It was still a few day's journey before they reached the next town, and they needed to get more supplies. Rinnah spent the rest of the day, weaving about and joining various conversations. Eventually she started to tire, but she pushed it off as they were to make camp soon. Finally, as she felt that she couldn't take another step, Thorin called the company to a halt. Rinnah changed back, and helped everyone unload the ponies. Thorin asked Dwalin and Nori to go find firewood, and asked Bombur to get preparations for dinner. Looking over what they had, Rinnah realized that the food was running low. Thinking quickly, she decided to sneak out for a quick hunt. When Bofur asked where she was going, the girl just told him that she wanted to go for a quick scout, having thought she smelled something of the food variety.

"Don't you go telling anyone, I don't want them to get their hopes up." Bofur just ruffled her hair.

"Right then, lass, you be careful." He watched her slink into the brush as a wolf, a cloth bag in her jaws. He went back to steadying camp, and helping Bilbo untack Myrtle as he still had trouble lifting the saddle. They looked round when Dwalin and Nori came back with armfuls of wood, Fili and Kili jumping to take it and start a fire. Bombur was muttering to himself, not knowing what to do with the food they had left. He set on getting some ingredients together to make a stew, although it would have to be less hearty than usual. A pot was set up over the flames, working up to a boil. Thorin came over to inspect what was to be cooked, and was rightfully displeased.

"Fili. Kili. I think you may need to go out for a hunt, see if you can find anything."

The two looked up at him, looking tired. They made to get up, but stopped as Rinnah came through the brush, a full bag in her teeth, and a brace of rabbits strung over her shoulder. Everyone gave a shout of joy, excited for this happy surprise. Her tail wouldn't stop wagging as she brought everything over to Bombur. He opened the bag to find various wild vegetables. There was even a type of root that she assured tasted much like chestnuts when peeled. After she changed back he pulled her into a one-armed hug. Fili and Kili came out of nowhere tackling her to the ground.

"Oi, how'd you manage to get all that then? It's so dark!" She just pointed to her nose, crossing her eyes to look at it as well. The brothers laughed and pulled her to her feet. "Must be one powerful sniffer ya got there."

"It's so weird, right," she asked with amused sarcasm, "It's as if I were part wolf or something."

Fili and Kili just laughed, ruffling up her hair. Looking past them, she saw Bifur, and walked over to him. He smiled warmly at her holding out the now polished knitting needles. She squeaked quietly with delight, before thanking him properly.

"Dolzekh menu," she said gratefully. His eyes widened slightly, before giving her a loving punch to the shoulder. She smiled even brighter. Turning, her eyes found Ori quickly. She walked over to him with purpose, needles behind her back. He looked up as she drew near. She pulled the needles from behind her and held them out to him.

"Here, Ori. I know I wasn't able to knit, and that you were upset to lose a student, but I wanted to make it up to you."

"Rinnah you didn't have to do that," he said, taking them from her and studying them. His mouth fell slightly open at the intricate and detailed designs. "These are amazing, where'd you learn to carve like this?"

"My father, he loved to carve, as did I after he taught me."

"Well thank you," he said getting up and giving her a hug, "I don't mind your inability to knit at all, you're much better at carving." He smirked at her and laughed as she gave a dramatic look of mock anger. She couldn't hold on to it long before she was laughing as well.

* * *

Dinner was finished, and the moon risen high in the sky. The nights were getting colder, and Bilbo wasn't built for such weather. He was shivering as he went to his bedroll, but was surprised to see Rinnah's cape sitting on it. He turned to look at her.

"I can't possibly use this, you'll get cold." She looked up at him from the thin fur she sat on. She set whatever she was fiddling with in her pack.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"But you need your cape."

"No, really it's fine. I... I have another one." Bilbo looked at her suspiciously. She bit her lip and reached for her pack, pulling out what seemed to be brown horsetail hairs, russet feathers, and finally a large white pelt.

"Rinnah, are those..." She turned to look at him, and looked at the rest of the company. She dropped her eyes, knowing that her customs were so very different. In her culture, it was considered the greatest respect to take something of passed loved ones. The implications of how they were attained, however, were almost always seen as morbid by others. Gandalf looked over from where he sat smoking. He noticed the uneasiness, and stood up to settle the confusion.

"Ah! I was wondering if you had your _varer minnene_." The others stared at him curiously. "I suppose you dwarfs would not know the customs of skin-changers. It is ritual for when a loved one dies, to keep a part of them with you before burying them. It is your "last memory" of them. And actually, it is the highest form of respect to your family. By not taking anything with you, you see your love for them as unworthy, and disrespect what they thought of you." The dwarves had relaxed as the wizard went on, eyes softening as they saw Rinnah clutching tightly at her _varer minnene_. She was looking at them, searching for acceptance and approval. No one knew quite exactly how to break the silence. That is, until Bilbo blurted out.

"That pelt is bloody HUGE! How big was your father?!" Everyone laughed at Bilbo's question, especially Rinnah.

"Well, when he finally got his growth spurt," she started. She was tapping her chin in contemplation, "He was about seven and a half feet tall?" There were gasps all around. They had never heard of anyone that tall, much less seen one.

"But you're so... tiny," Dwalin said confusedly.

"Yeah, so? There are actually a few members of my family that were abnormally small, and I'm pretty sure that I will stay short, too. Besides, I never really wanted to be tall. My wolf form is big enough, so I don't worry about me as a human. And I quite want to stay this height, I prefer the company of dwarves and hobbits, and never wish to stand out as much as Gandalf. No offense," she said looking up at him.

"None take my dear, there are many times that I wish I were short as well." Everyone seemed more than pleased by Rinnah's admissions, and after a lengthy discussion about height, everyone made way to their bedrolls. Rinnah spun around three times as per usual before dropping. Before she could roll over, she felt the pelt being thrown over her. She looked up to see a smiling Bofur place his bedroll beside hers. Bilbo even moved over as well. Rinnah looked happier than ever as she cuddled into Bofur's front, with Bilbo snuggling into her back. The three of them fell asleep quickly, as did the rest of the company.

* * *

**Woot! Another chapter down. I said earlier that I planned on this story having it's ups and downs, and I like to think that I didn't break my promise. I'm thinking about having them go into town next chapter, and Rinnah could possibly get a steed of her own. We shall see!**


	6. Chapter 6

**All right! Back to business. Sorry about how long it takes to update. I like to make sure I have each chapter perfectly wrapped up. I also would like to make a note that I will be referring to most skin-changers as their animals, instead of saying skin-changer all the time. For example, I will mostly refer to Rinnah as the wolf.**

* * *

A week had passed since Rinnah and the Company had their "heart-to heart" concerning the _varer minnene_. Being that everyone was now comfortable with the idea, she had decided to give her old cloak to Bilbo, since he still did not have one. When she had given it to the hobbit, he blushed furiously, and stuttered a thank you as some of the others laughed. Of course, that didn't bode well with the wolf, so she gave every offender a firm nip on the leg. The company was nearing a town, one of the last they should see for a while before entering the wilds. Rinnah was quite thankful for that fact. Although she seemed healthy enough, actually keeping up with the ponies each day did tax her body. Every break they took, she attempted to get some sleep, though she was mostly kept up by the others' rowdiness. She still ran out on hunts in the evening, but was having trouble eating as much as she normally did. She kept all of her discomforts well hidden, and was unfortunately at the last of her strength. It was a few hours from town when Rinnah slipped up. She had been making her way, walking between Dwalin and Nori's ponies, when she actually fell asleep. She kept going, as her muscles seemed keen to continue as they were. She was not deeply asleep, but did keep falling in and out of consciousness. Finally, though, she began drifting towards Dwalin, eventually leaning against his leg while still moving. She heard a gruff voice, but couldn't really decipher it as she began truly falling asleep. She felt a large hand on her scruff before feeling nothing.

"Oi, Thorin! Looks like our li'l pup has fallen asleep." He held up a completely limp Rinnah, slightly twitching as she dreamed. The dwarf in question turned to look, as did the others. "Well, what should we do with 'er? Quite a few of the company began laughing as the twitches became more pronounced. Her lips were curling up, her feet flicking.

"Maybe we should just let 'er sleep, looks like she's havin' a right good hunt there," chortled Nori, "She might even bring us back somethin'!" It seemed that no one could contain their laughter, save for Thorin. He merely glared and rode over to Dwalin, taking the wolf and placing her astride his own pony. Everyone else just tried to cover their mouths as he passed, trying in vain to hold back all of the sniggers. Once again at the head of the procession, Thorin set to waking up their wolf, giving a hard pull of her ear. Gandalf had left again, so he didn't worry about his complaints. She blinked blearily and looked over at him indignantly, her eyes unfocused and glassy. In a few seconds however, her eyes widened as she realized where she was, and with whom. She made to scrabble off the pony, but he held her still.

"Now why are you so tired little wolf? We said that we did not mind you riding with us." The wolf changed back to a girl and looked at him like a dog that had just been scolded.

"'M sorry, I just didn't wanna overburden the ponies. They have been making mentions of how their backs hurt some, and I didn't wanna start anything'." She looked up at him with apologetic eyes, and his softened in return.

"I almost forgot, you can understand them." He received a nod. "Well, in that case, when we do reach town, I will send you to scout for a suitable mount, that way none of our animals need be so burdened, and you may get the rest you so very much need. Until then, of course, you will stay with me on my pony. Am I clear?" Rinnah nodded again, her face flooding with relief. Content with the response, Thorin turn his gaze to look at the path ahead.

Being that the dwarves king wasn't one for much conversation, the girl went searching through her pack for her mother's tail hairs, and her sisters feathers. Taking three of the russet feathers, she took some of the hairs and wove them around, the feathers sitting in a cascade. She the went about thinly braiding the hairs to a long length, adding more when needed. If Thorin was interested by her actions, he made no mention, but she could feel his gaze flick to her every so often. When it had reach a suitable length, she tied a knot at the end, another feather spreading from it. It was a long and thin string. A deep brown, and quite shiny. Carefully, Rinnah took a long lock of hair behind her left "side bang", before her ear, and wrapped the entire lock with the string. The three feathers sprouted from the top knot, cascading and blocking off the view of her left ear. She continued wrapping until there was no more white to be seen, and a rusted feather hung down from the end. Quite please with her work, she started one for the other side, forgoing the top feathers as she only had one left. Soon she had two locks wrapped with dark brown, just longer that the two white pieces that framed her face. Turning to face Thorin, who quickly shifted his eyes back to the road, she opened her mouth to ask him a question.

"Are these even," she inquired with slight urgency. He looked down at her surveying both of them.

"Yes." He smirked as she gave a sigh of relief.

* * *

They had finally reached the town. Bofur and Bifur were looking to check how many toys they had made since their last stop. It wasn't nearly as much as they had the last time, and they quickly alerted Thorin. He looked at them concernedly, then back to Rinnah. Feeling eyes on her, she turned her head to look at them inquisitively, while still helping Bilbo off of his pony. They went back to huddle in discussion, and her face dropped. She knew what they were talking about. They needed money to stay at an inn, but Rinnah needed a pony. She didn't have any money to her name, never having to buy anything before. Thinking quickly, she smiled as she came up with a plan. She heard Thorin approaching, his scent easily recognizable, and she turned to face him, her face blank.

"Yes Thorin?"

"Rinnah, I've been talking with Bifur and Bofur... and it seems that-" He was quickly cut off by Rinnah.

"Oh I hope you didn't plan to buy me a pony, I do have _some_ money with me. I wouldn't dream of making you pay." Her voice and face appeared honest, and Thorin didn't doubt her.

"Well, in that case, I guess I don't really have much else to say. You can go and look for a mount, the rest of us will be milling through the town. Make sure to be at the town square by sunset."

Rinnah smiled as he walked off. She had actually fooled Thorin. Then her brows came together as she remembered her predicament. Quick as ever, she came up with a plan. She wore her father's skin to cover all of her scars, and her state of dress. Apparently the race of men were much more easily offended when it came to clothing. Dori had even helped her figure a way to wear it so that it did not trail behind her. It gathered up under the mane, ending level with her feet. Steering clear of large crowds, she asked around for where the blacksmith was set up. Finally she got directions from a kindly baker, her pointed her in the direction, and even gave her a warm roll upon seeing her small stature. Happily chewing, she carefully read the signs, and finally saw the one she was looking for. It was quite warm, and that was to be expected in a forge. Swallowing the last of the bread quickly, she went of to the front counter. She looked over all of the weapons that adorned the wall. They were well made, but she would never give up hers, they were much too important. She brought her gaze forward as she heard heavy footfalls. A large man was walking over, and seemed more than perplexed to see such a small girl, in a white lion pelt no less.

"Can I help you miss? You aren't lost are you?"

"Oh no, I actually came hoping to sell you some armor." The smith's eyes narrowed, before giving a shrug.

"All right then, I will see if it's quality enough. What type is it?"

"Two shoulder pieces, made from iron and Oliphaunt tusks." His eyes widened at the last bit. He looked at her doubtfully as she brought it out, his eyes widening even more.

"Now where did you get these," he asked with blatant suspicion, "You didn't steal them?"

"Of course not, they were my uncle Tallak's. I'm a skin-changer, we had a lot of quality armor."

"A skin-changer, well. That would explain the Oliphaunt tusks then, very hard to obtain they are."

"So, are you willing to buy?"

Rinnah soon left the blacksmith's with a heavy purse. She had felt bad initially, selling off a relative's possession, but then she remembered what the others had said. She thought of them as more of a family than, well, her family. This was excluding her parents and sister of course. Now she was off to find a suitable mount. She looked all around, seeing horses and ponies, but she just couldn't connect with them. Something told her to just keep looking, that there was something much better to be found. Eventually she found herself at a fence, watching a farmer very warily attempt to put a rope around a large goats neck. Something about him was different. He was huge, a little larger than the ponies, which even surprised Rinnah. He was an odd color as well, brindle all over with a white stomach and muzzle. His horns were a golden color, with a full and half turn, a sign that he was easily in his prime. She smiled as she watched the man skirt about him in fear.

"Do you need some help," she called to the man.

"I don't think you want to be around him lass, bloody dangerous he is." Her mind got even more excited and she smiled brighter.

"It wouldn't be a problem at all, I'm very good with animals."

"Well, if truth be told, I'm actually trying to get rid of this beast. I bought him to breed with, but he scares away all the bloody does!"

"Can I have 'im?"

"What?"

"Can I have 'im?" The man looked at her long and hard before throwing up his hands.

"Here's the deal, you catch 'im you keep 'im." Rinnah gave a small cheer in her head before leaping the fence. She had actually been about to make an offer, but this was so much better. The ram turned to look at her, his shaggy body was big, and looked even bigger up close. She walked up to him slowly, carefully looking him in the eye as she went. Thinking quickly she gave out a few very quiet bleats, asking him to come with her. His eyes widened a bit, and she could tell that they were a gorgeous amber. Then, after thinking carefully, he walk over to her, and allowed her to hop up onto his back. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was still only early afternoon, so she rode her new steed through the streets to where Thorin had mentioned that Bofur and Bifur would be.

* * *

Though most of the company had scatter to look for supplies, a few had stayed near the center of town. Of course there was Bifur and Bofur, who were delightedly selling their wares, but there was also Bilbo and Thorin. The two of them hadn't really felt the urge to walk around much, and Thorin had no need to search around for supplies, seeing as the others were. They sat calmly, watching as children came up with awestruck faces. The two toymakers were rightfully proud of their work. Like always, however, Bifur's seemingly scary toys sold quicker than those that Bofur had made. It was always interesting, and never failed to spark conversation. Despite the wares selling, Thorin noted that they were still short, having to buy supplies as well as stay at an inn. His concentration was soon broken by a loud whistle, and he looked up to see a full purse come flying towards him. He caught it deftly before looking over at who had thrown it.

"'Ello boys! Thought I might help you out a bit." It was Rinnah, grinning cheekily from a side street. Thorin just glared.

"I talked to Bofur and Bilbo before, they said that you had mentioned not having any form of money on you." Rinnah's face fell slightly. "Why did you lie to me, and where did you get this?"

"I know I lied, but I got that money right and proper," she still looked crestfallen, "I sold my uncle Tallak's old shoulder armor. I thought that all of your safety and comfort came before his pride."

"You, sold the armor?" Thorin looked surprised, and even a bit proud.

"Yeah, I think of you guys as family... a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless. Speaking of which, I had someone I wanted you to meet, since he's the newest member." Her face was positively glowing now. She went into the back street and came out leading the huge ram she had caught, a single rope around his middle. As she came out, she noticed that the rest of the dwarves had come back. Everyone just stared open-mouthed, and Thorin looked almost murderous.

"You bought... a goat."

"Yeah," she said excitedly, "Not just any ole goat, though!" She dug into her back and pulled out a strip of dried meat. Everyone looked on in confusion as she held it if front of the rams mouth. His pupils contracted as he quickly ripped it out of her hand. She looked back over at them, and they all had some state of shock written across their face. When the ram had grabbed at the meat, it was easy to see that he had upper teeth in addition to bottoms like a normal goat. And even more alarming than that was his large and sharp canines. The first to speak was surprisingly Nori.

"Oh we have to keep 'im! He's absolutely perfect!" Everyone started laughing, and Bifur walked straight up to the ram. He the proceeded to grab the ram by his horns, and headbutt him with a loud crack. The two of them just stared at each other warmly, and Bifur signed his approval to the others.

"Wha's his name lass?" Bofurs voice carried over the dying laughter.

"Hmm...I think I'll name him Rowan. That's a nice strong name." The others nodded their approval, and Rowan gave her a gentle headbutt into her shoulder.

Even though Rinnah had brought more than enough money, Bofur and Bifur decided to stay and sell the remainder of their wares. She decided to stay with them, and Nori even offered to bring Rowan to be housed with their ponies, which Rowan was quite content with. She remained a wolf, having thrown her pelt back into her pack, and giving it to Bilbo to bring to the inn. She lay down under the bench that Bifur and Bofur sat on, her head resting between Bofur's feet. He would occasionally scratch her behind the ears as they twitched about. Rinnah loved having her ears scratched and leaned into his fingers every time he started, giving a huff of disappointment when he would stop. A few children milled over to the dwarves, and looked appreciatively at the toys. There were two boys, and a younger girl who looked to be their sister. While the boys picked out both a troll from Bifur, and a stag from Bofur, the girl looked inquisitively at the wolf under the bench.

"Mr. Dwarf," she said pointedly at Bofur, "Why does your doggie have scars?" Slightly stunned by the question, he thought a moment before replying.

"Well, ya see, this 'ere is a very brave dog," he began jovially, and Rinnah perked her ears to listen as her eyes remained confused. "There was a big black wolf that attacked her and her family, and she did 'er very best to protect 'em."

"A wolf?" The child looked mighty impressed, and a little scared. "You stood up to a wolf?" Rinnah looked up at her, eyes slightly clouded with emotion.

"Aye, she did. And let me tell you, if I were ever in a scrap, 'specially with a wolf, I'd want her at my side." Rinnah's head tilted up to look at him before getting up and out from under the bench. She rested her head in against his chest, sitting beside him, her front legs over his lap for balance. She nuzzled right up under his chin as he scratched her ears again, and then gave him a huge lick up the side of the face. It left his hat askew, and his eyes wide with mock disgust. The children just laughed as he pushed her right off and glared at her as she rolled over and hid behind the children.

"Now then, wha was that all about?" Rinnah just grinned over their heads, and gave a sudden squeak when they all hugged her and pet her at once. She rolled right onto her side as they continued, squirming about as the managed to find the sensitive spots on her ribs. Bofur and Bifur just looked on with amusement, with Bofur laughing loudly as they piled on top of her. Bright eyes shone up at them as her tail wagged furiously, her tongue lolling out in contentment as the girl stroked her newest adornments. The children all collectively groaned when their mother came over to bring them home.

"I'm sorry about them, I hope they didn't terrorize your dog too much."

"Not at all! Just look at 'er, I've never seen her this happy before." The woman took one look and gave a little laugh.

"Well then, you have a very patient dog," she said brightly, before taking the girl on her hip, her boys close at her sides. After they left, Rinnah changed back into a girl, absolutely glowing with delight. She gave a content sigh as she looked over at the two dwarves with a wide smile. They smiled back just as wide and gathered their things. They had sold the last of their wares, and the sun was starting to set. Pulling the girl into his side, Bofur started off towards the inn, knowing that Bifur would follow right behind.

* * *

**As it stands, I would like to tell you all that I never quite know how these chapters are going to end up. I had actually planned for this one to end quite differently, with some more adult themes, but my writing has a mind of its own. I know for sure there will be hinting in the next chapter directed at Rinnah, but I don't know if I will actually get to anything.**

**And just a warning, yes, there will be smut in this fic. And yes, there will be stuff with Rinnah, who is a minor. I wasn't going to do it at first, but hey, like I said before, my writing does its own thing.**


End file.
